Scientific research, especially in the area of robotics, often leverages cutting-edge technology. Labs filled with the latest measurement and fabrication gear are unleashed on the really tough problems, like how to simulate the exquisite sensing abilities of human skin. One lab doing work in this area has taken a different approach, though, by building multi-functional sensors arrays from paper.
A group from the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia, led by [Muhammad M. Hussain], has published a fascinating paper that’s a tour de force of getting a lot done with nothing. Common household items, like Post-It notes, kitchen sponges, tissue paper, and tin foil, are used to form the basis of what they call “paper skin”. Fabrication techniques – scissors and tape – are ridiculously simple and accessible to anyone who made it through kindergarten.
They do turn to a Circuit Scribe pen for some of their sensors, but even this nod to high technology is well within their stated goal of making it possible for anyone to fabricate sensors at home. The paper goes into great detail about how the sensors are made, how they interact, and how they are interfaced. It’s worth a read to see what you can accomplish with scraps.
For another low-tech paper-based sensor, check out this capacitive touch sensor keyboard.
Thanks for the tip, [Mattias]
Almost useless in real life without a silicon elastomer encapsulation, and yeah the humidity section can still work, you just have to add micro pores in the right places.
If anyone was wondering how such silicon elastomer encapsulations can be DIY the answer is silkscreen printing.
Lay down base layer, place sensor sheets, lay down top layer with holes over humidity sensors, and for the tricky part squeegee on another layer (that just ends up in the holes) of a mix of the silicon and a compatible soluble granule that has a diameter matched to thickness of the layer so that when it is wash with the appropriate solution the granules become holes down onto the relevant parts of the sensors.
http://www.instructables.com/howto/Screen+Printing/
Just remember to clean up fast and early and don’t mix your silicon gear with other printing materials.
Interesting
We have been able to encapsulate the skin to measure body vitals which will be published next. That system is interfaced with flexible ultra-thin silicon IC (process was developed by us and patented). Nice write-up though: democratizing electronics – simple to understand, easy to implement.
We are DIY people therefore we are not constrained by patents, we can afford to just focus on sharing and mutual benefit, generosity is a great luxury if you can afford it.
في نظر الله الفلاح السخي هو أكثر ثراء من ملك الجشع.
Actually everything is in the public domain – papers are published (doi: 10.1021/nn405475k). Also, I am not Arab, rather American, can’t speak Arabic. I had to use the translator :)
I’m sure the people “looking over your shoulder” can speak it. :-)
I am *so* embarrassed to be a part of this crowd right now.
Please ignore the mice in the wainscoting.
I thought your paper was brilliant.
This thread is about his reference to patents, and it’s relevance to “this crowd”, not about the paper. if anything you should be embarrassed by your low level of comprehension.
If you have something to contribute regarding related methodologies that are accessible to DIY people then please do so, otherwise you know what you look like, a troll.
Hackaday is a weird place that seems to attract a lot of haters – don’t worry too much about what others have said.
Your paper is highly informative, creative, and exactly the sort of thing we like to showcase. Your experimental procedures seem simple enough for anyone to duplicate, and in a few months you might find people here have duplicated your work and even (in some respects) extended them.
What you have done is actually quite impressive.
There is no hate in the comments here kid, just a point made about patents and a reply about their relevance to “hackers” or the DIY crowd.
You know… There is nothing wrong in patenting stuff….. The thing is if they enforce the patent on the people, I don’t know what intentions they have over their own invention, but at least is public, and the paper is free to download, when the norm is to charge for it. I think it’s good that they have done it, cause another could come and patent it and enforce it in ways the original inventors don’t want to. http://www.diyspaceexploration.com/12thingsaboutpatents/
Yes, they could have used an Open Source Hardware License, but maybe the university enforced the patent or the country they live in don’t support such thing (Open Source Licenses) and it’s safer to go with a patent. Or maybe they just wanted to patent it to use it commercially in a near future.
Muhammad Mustafa Hussain and team, awesome work. thank you for sharing this!
(Sorry for my english, it’s my second language).
“You know… There is nothing wrong in patenting stuff….. The thing is if they enforce the patent on the people”
Or even mention it on a forum like this, as if we would care that they had a patent.
“Or even mention it on a forum like this, as if we would care that they had a patent.”
Well then why did you even bring the patent issue to the table? I thought you were being serious, now I see you are just a troll.
As PWalsh said, “Hackaday is a weird place that seems to attract a lot of haters …”
I didn’t do that, as anyone who reads the thread from the start can see.
So what does that make you, a lair or a fool? I say you are both.
You do realise that you actually called Muhammad Mustafa Hussain a troll because they did bring the issue of patents up first? I can see why you in particular hide your identity, you wouldn’t want people knowing publicly to sort of idiot things you do online, would you? They’d be like “Hahahaa there goes that idiot who can’t even read, but who tried to lecture other people, what a fool. English isn’t their first language, but neither is common sense.”
(Ignore the post below…. Didn’t know i could stil lreply over here, sorry about that)
Mr. Muhammad said it was patented, then you went on him implying he was selfish (yea I translated what you said in Arab).
dan says:
February 29, 2016 at 10:04 pm
“This thread is about his reference to patents, and it’s relevance to “this crowd”, not about the paper. if anything you should be embarrassed by your low level of comprehension.
If you have something to contribute regarding related methodologies that are accessible to DIY people then please do so, otherwise you know what you look like, a troll.”
First sentence clearly says “This thread is about his reference to patents…”, you brought it up like if it was an issue…. Mr. Muhammad just said it was patented….
You are hiding also.
You are an idiot because you attacked before you determined the truth, there is no way of escaping that because there is no delete button for your stupid comments, so don’t expect any respect
I am not hiding, because I have not made a fool of myself as you have. Furthermore Muhammad Mustafa Hussain has a good idea of who I may be. :-)
So give up now before you dig a hole for yourself that you can never climb out of. At least I did you the courtesy of pointing out where you were being foolish, many people would have just laughed at you and not told you why, just leading you on so that you make an even bigger fool of yourself.
It looks like the temperature and humidity sensors are fairly accurate, so would be a good homemade DHT22 replacement. Sure they probably won’t last as long, but as something to teach kids it’s great :D
@dan: “Or even mention it on a forum like this, as if we would care that they had a patent.”
Well then why did you even bring the patent issue to the table? I thought you were being serious, now I see you are just a troll.
As PWalsh said, “Hackaday is a weird place that seems to attract a lot of haters …”
I didn’t do that, as anyone who reads the thread from the start can see.
So what does that make you, a lair or a fool? I say you are both.
Mr. Muhammad said it was patented, then you went on him implying he was selfish (yea I translated what you said in Arab).
dan says:
February 29, 2016 at 10:04 pm
“This thread is about his reference to patents, and it’s relevance to “this crowd”, not about the paper. if anything you should be embarrassed by your low level of comprehension.
If you have something to contribute regarding related methodologies that are accessible to DIY people then please do so, otherwise you know what you look like, a troll.”
First sentence clearly says “This thread is about his reference to patents…”, you brought it up like if it was an issue…. Mr. Muhammad just said it was patented….
You are an idiot because you attacked before you determined the truth, there is no way of escaping that because there is no delete button for your stupid comments, so don’t expect any respect.
Dear Dan,
Get over it.
Love
The Internet
Me get over idiots? Sure, when I stop laughing.